another ez question for you guys. I have a 52 V8 block with its original cam in place and I have a ,I hope 4" mercury crankshaft to go in it . The cam gear to the crank gears don't mesh togeter, one is reverse of what it should be. Could the crank gear be on backwards or do I have an older maybe 1948 crank and gear? The crank has the larger oil plug holes and with a ruler I measured 4" throw , but on the old paper tag from a machine shop it says 1939 ford ,along with the under cut measurements. Did the other flatheads have gear teeth reversed from the 49-53? HELP!! tony in buffalo ny

 

I'm not sure what year they changed, but the gears are different. Earlier gears would tend to push the cam into the front cover as it rotated. Later ones (with the different gears) would push the cam up against the block. I hope I got that right !?!?
You can't reverse the gear, it would still be the wrong direction.
...Terry